Quality of service improvement in mobile networks

Abstract

Device, nodes and methods according to the present invention address this need and others by improving the quality of service of roaming cellular communications, particularly for the area of data transmissions. A service identifier number is transmitted by a mobile device, and received by a telecommunication system. The service identifier number is used to identify a telecommunication node which is assigned to provide the requested data service.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A telecommunication node comprising:
 a processor for receiving a message which requests a data service, wherein said message contains a service identification number which is used by said telecommunication node to determine a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) to support said data service.   
     
     
         2 . The telecommunication node of  claim 1 , wherein said message is an activate packet data protocol context request message. 
     
     
         3 . The telecommunication node of  claim 1 , wherein said telecommunication node is a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN). 
     
     
         4 . The telecommunication node of  claim 1 , wherein said processor also periodically receives messages from GGSNs which indicate services provided by said GGSNs and IP addresses associated with said GGSNs, and further wherein said telecommunications node includes:
 a memory device for storing a GGSN list indexed by service based upon said messages from said GGSNs.   
     
     
         5 . The telecommunication node of  claim 4 , wherein said processor determines whether said data service is authorized to be provided by a GGSN within said telecommunication node's public land mobile network (PLMN) or whether said data service should be provided by a home PLMN. 
     
     
         6 . The telecommunication node of  claim 5 , wherein if said processor determines that said data service is authorized to be provided by a GGSN within said telecommunication node's PLMN, then said telecommunication node searches said GGSN list using said service identification number to identify a GGSN within said telecommunication node's PLMN to provide said data service. 
     
     
         7 . The telecommunication node of  claim 5 , wherein if said processor determines that said data service is not authorized to be provided by a GGSN within said telecommunication node's PLMN, then said telecommunication node initiates a home GGSN IP address discovery mechanism to provide said data service from a GGSN in said home PLMN. 
     
     
         8 . The telecommunication node of  claim 5 , wherein if said processor determines that said data service is authorized to be provided by a GGSN within said telecommunication node's PLMN, and if a search of said GGSN list for a local GGSN to provide said data service fails, then said telecommunication node initiates a home GGSN IP address discovery mechanism to provide said data service from a GGSN in said home PLMN. 
     
     
         9 . The telecommunication node of  claim 2 , wherein said activate packet data protocol context request does not contain an access point name (APN) having a domain name. 
     
     
         10 . The telecommunication node of  claim 1 , wherein said service identification number includes a first field and a second field. 
     
     
         11 . The telecommunication node of  claim 10 , wherein a first field is a function field that contains a first number corresponding to one of: a wildcard, a packet data network and a service. 
     
     
         12 . The telecommunication node of  claim 11 , wherein if said first number corresponds to said packet data network, then said second field contains an autonomous system number. 
     
     
         13 . The telecommunication node of  claim 11 , wherein if said first number corresponds to said service, then said second field contains a service classification number. 
     
     
         14 . The telecommunication node of  claim 13 , wherein said service classification number corresponds to at least one of: a conversational service, a streaming service, an interactive service and a background service. 
     
     
         15 . A telecommunication method comprising the step of:
 receiving a message which requests a data service, wherein said message contains a service identification number which is used by a telecommunication node to determine a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) to support said data service.   
     
     
         16 . The telecommunication method of  claim 15 , wherein said message is an activate packet data protocol context request message. 
     
     
         17 . The telecommunication method of  claim 15 , wherein said telecommunication node is a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN). 
     
     
         18 . The telecommunication method of  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
 periodically receiving messages from GGSNs which indicate services provided by said GGSNs and IP addresses associated with said GGSNs, and   constructing a GGSN list indexed by service based upon said messages from said GGSNs.   
     
     
         19 . The telecommunication method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of:
 determining whether said data service is authorized to be provided by a GGSN within said telecommunication node's public land mobile network (PLMN) or whether said data service should be provided by a home PLMN.   
     
     
         20 . The telecommunication method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of:
 searching, if it is determined that said data service is authorized to be provided by a GGSN within said telecommunication node's PLMN, said GGSN list using said service identification number to identify a GGSN within said telecommunication node's PLMN to provide said data service.   
     
     
         21 . The telecommunication method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of:
 initiating, if it is determined that said data service is not authorized to be provided by a GGSN within said telecommunication node's PLMN, a home GGSN IP address discovery mechanism to provide said data service from a GGSN in said home PLMN.   
     
     
         22 . The telecommunication method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of:
 initiating, if it is determined that said data service is authorized to be provided by a GGSN within said telecommunication node's PLMN, and if a search of said GGSN list for a local GGSN to provide said data service fails, a home GGSN IP address discovery mechanism to provide said data service from a GGSN in said home PLMN.   
     
     
         23 . The telecommunication method of  claim 16 , wherein said activate packet data protocol context request does not contain an access point name (APN) having a domain name. 
     
     
         24 . The telecommunication method of  claim 15 , wherein said service identification number includes a first field and a second field. 
     
     
         25 . The telecommunication method of  claim 24 , wherein said first field is a function field that contains a first number corresponding to one of: a wildcard, a packet data network and a service. 
     
     
         26 . The telecommunication method of  claim 25 , wherein if said first number corresponds to said packet data network, then said second field contains an autonomous system number. 
     
     
         27 . The telecommunication method of  claim 25 , wherein if said first number corresponds to said service, then said second field contains a service classification number. 
     
     
         28 . The telecommunication method of  claim 27 , wherein said service classification number corresponds to at least one of: a conversational service, a streaming service, an interactive service and a background service. 
     
     
         29 . A mobile device comprising:
 a transceiver for transmitting a message which requests a data service, and wherein said message contains a service identification number which is usable to determine a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) to support said data service.   
     
     
         30 . The mobile device of  claim 29 , wherein said message is an activate packet data protocol context request message. 
     
     
         31 . The mobile device of  claim 29 , wherein said activate packet data protocol context request does not contain an access point name (APN) having a domain name. 
     
     
         32 . The mobile device of  claim 29 , wherein said service identification number includes a first field and a second field. 
     
     
         33 . The mobile device of  claim 32 , wherein a first field is a function field that contains a first number corresponding to one of: a wildcard, a packet data network and a service. 
     
     
         34 . The mobile device of  claim 33 , wherein if said first number corresponds to said packet data network, then said second field contains an autonomous system number. 
     
     
         35 . The mobile device of  claim 33 , wherein if said first number corresponds to said service, then said second field contains a service classification number. 
     
     
         36 . The mobile device of  claim 35 , wherein said service classification number corresponds to at least one of: a conversational service, a streaming service, an interactive service and a background service. 
     
     
         37 . A telecommunication method comprising the step of:
 transmitting a message which requests a data service, and wherein said message contains a service identification number which is usable to determine a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) to support said data service.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said message is an activate packet data protocol context request message. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said activate packet data protocol context request does not contain an access point name (APN) having a domain name. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said service identification number includes a first field and a second field. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein said first field is a function field that contains a first number corresponding to one of: a wildcard, a packet data network and a service. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein if said first number corresponds to said packet data network, then said second field contains an autonomous system number. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein if said first number corresponds to said service, then said second field contains a service classification number. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said service classification number corresponds to at least one of: a conversational service, a streaming service, an interactive service and a background service. 
     
     
         45 . A telecommunications node comprising:
 a processor for receiving router advertisement (RA) messages and for updating a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) list which is used to assign a GGSN to locally support a request for data service,   wherein said processor invokes a home GGSN IP address discovery mechanism when said request is unable to be locally supported.   
     
     
         46 . A telecommunications method comprising the steps of:
 receiving router advertisement (RA) messages;   updating a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) list using said RA messages;   assigning a GGSN to locally support a request for data service, and   invoking, if said request cannot be supported locally, a home GGSN IP address discovery mechanism.